The present invention relates to high power electrical circuit breakers and more particularly to systems for preventing direct electrical conduction and uncontrolled arcing between the line connection terminals of such circuit breakers or between these line connection terminals and electrical ground.
High power circuit breakers generally include arc chambers located inside the circuit breakers in which controlled arcing frequently occurs as electrical connectivity is broken between the contact members of the circuit breaker. Especially under short circuit fault conditions this arcing produces large amounts of hot ionized gases within the arc chambers which exit from these chambers through vent openings in the top of the circuit breaker. Unfortunately, if these ionized gases collect in the vicinity of the line terminals of the circuit breaker they may establish a conduction path between terminals connected to different phases of the line current or between the terminals and electrical ground. This can lead to massive electrical faults on the line sides of the circuit breakers and can result in the destruction of the equipment. This can be a troublesome problem with conventional high power circuit breakers which position the vent openings to the arc chambers within the circuit breaker along the top of the circuit breaker in proximity to the line terminals.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for a high power circuit breaker which can direct ionized gases which escape from the vent openings in the circuit breaker away from the line terminals and prevent such gases from collecting in the vicinity of the line terminals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a deflection system for deflecting hot ionized gases exiting the vent openings to the arc chambers of a high power circuit breaker forward of the circuit breaker and away from the line terminals and electrical ground.
It is a further object of the present invention to isolate the spaces in proximity to the line terminals of a high power circuit breaker from each other and from areas adjacent to the top of the circuit breaker so that ionized gases cannot infiltrate into those spaces and establish conduction paths between the different line terminals.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a system for deflecting the ionized gases which may escape from the vent openings of a high power circuit breaker away from its line terminals and electric ground which is inexpensive and may be conveniently installed in conjunction with the mounting of the circuit breaker within a conventional control center.